Beetles (Coleoptera) of the Shell Picture Card series: Cerambycidae

by Dr Trevor J. Hawkeswood*

*PO Box 842, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, 2753 (www.calodema.com)

Hawkeswood, T.J. (2007). Beetles (Coleoptera) of the Shell Picture Card series: Cerambycidae. Calodema Supplementary Paper No. 46: 1-5.

Abstract: Cards depicting Cerambycidae species (Coleoptera) from Australia in the Shell Picture Card series entitled Australian Beetles are reviewed in this paper. The original cards are supplied as illustrations with the original accompanying data. Comments on these data are provided.

Introduction

During the early 1960’s the Shell Petroleum Company issued a number of Picture Card series dealing with the fauna and flora of Australia. The cards were handed out free at Shell service stations across the country (when petrol stations did give proper service!) and were housed in an album which was purchased separately. This paper reviews the Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) of the Australian Beetles series (card numbers 301-360)(1965). The other beetle groups will be dealt with in other papers. The reason for these papers is to provide the illustrations and data for future workers since the Shell Picture Card series are rare and have seldom been referred to as a result.

Species

Card no. 308 - Banksia Longicorn Beetle, Uracanthus triangularis (Hope)

Card data: “This is an interesting beetle which is very common in South-Eastern Australia. Its grubs, or larvae, bore into native honey-suckle or banksia trees, often eventually causing large branches to die and fall. Adult beetles are found during the warmer months, and in some areas are very plentiful and easily discovered basking in the hot sun.”

Comments: The biology and host plants of this species were reviewed by Hawkeswood (2002).

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Card no. 313 - Black and Orange (Longicorn) Beetle, Purpuricenus quadrinotatus (White)

Card data: “This beautiful insect is more than an inch long. It is a native of Queensland and, unlike most Longicorns, flies about during the day in bright sunshine. Specimens are often attracted to flowers, mainly native blooms. As is typical of the family Cerambycidae, its larvae are borers. The adult beetles are found during the hot summer months. ”

Comments: Nothing appears to have been written on the biology of this species since publication of the Shell Picture Card series.

Card no. 318 - White Spotted (Longicorn) Beetle, Penthea saundersi Pascoe

Card data: “This large and truly magnificent black beetle, with its ornamentation of whitish spots, is a native of Western Australia. It is a Longicorn belonging to the Cerambycidae family.

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Adult beetles of this species are usually found crawling about on twigs or small branches of trees in the daytime. The larvae, or grubs, are borers. ”

Comments: Nothing appears to have been written on the biology of this species since publication of the Shell Picture Card series.

Card no. 328 - Common Longicorn Beetle, Phoracantha tricuspa Newman

Card data: “This very common and attractive beetle, with a long body and very long antennae, is found in southern Australia, where its grubs bore mainly into the branches of growing eucalypts. Frequently, they cause branches to break off and in some cases even result in the death of the entire tree. Adult beetles are found during the warmer months; the family is Cerambycidae. ”

Comments: There are some references to this species on the Internet but there are no specific research papers dealing with the biology of the species. It appears to be rarer than other members of the genus which are economically important in forestry.

Card no. 339 - French’s Longicorn Beetle, Batocera frenchi (Van de Poll)

[as Batocera frenchi Blkb.]

Card data: “This is one of the finest Longicorn Beetles in Australia. It is found in the rain forests from northern New South Wales to north Queensland. It measures 2” or more in length and is found in certain native fig trees, in the branches and trunks of which its grubs feed. This beetle is a common species of the family Cerambycidae.”

Comments: The biology and host plants of Batocera boisduvali (Hope)(often regarded by entomologists as the same species as B. frenchi) have been reviewed by Hawkeswood (1987a) & Hawkeswood & Dauber (1990, 1993).

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Card no. 347 - Silver Striped Beetle, Rhytiphora dallasi Pascoe

Card data: “This is another magnificent Longicorn - a native of Western Australia. It measures about 1 1/2 inches in length and has a distinctive silvery white body adorned with black lines. This beetle is only found during the warm months. Its grubs are borers in native timbers. Family: Cerambycidae. ”

Comments: Nothing appears to have been written on the biology of this species since publication of the Shell Picture Card series.

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Card no. 358 - Wasp-like Longicorn Beetle, Hesthesis cingulata (Kirby)

Card data: “This very interesting beetle superficially resembles a large wasp of the hornet type. This is because of its colour and its very short wing cases, which expose the membranous flying wings. These beetles of the family Cerambycidae are found mostly in southern Australia, frequenting flowers of native shrubs, especially tea-tree. Larvae are timber borers. ”

Comments: Moore (1966) provided details on the biology of this species and Hawkeswood (1987a) summarized this work. The term ‘tea-tree” refers to Leptospermum species (Myrtaceae).Hawkeswood (1987b) recorded the species from flowers of Leptospermum in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.

References Hawkeswood, T.J. (1987a). Beetles of Australia. Angus & Robertson Publishers, Sydney. Hawkeswood, T.J. (1987b). Pollination of Leptospermum flavescens Sm. (Myrtaceae) by beetles (Coleoptera) in the

Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Giornale Italiano di Entomologia, 3: 261-269.Hawkeswood, T.J. (2002). Review of the biology and host plants of the Australian longicorn beetle Uracanthus

triangularis (Hope, 1833)(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Entomologische Zeitschrift, 112: 59-62.Hawkeswood, T. J. & Dauber, D. (1990). Ein Überblick über die Biologie und Wirtspflanzen des australischen

Bockkäfers Batocera boisduvali (Hope) mit neuen Erkenntnissen über Paarungs- und Eiablageverhalten (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Entomologische Zeitschrift, 100: 213-218.

Hawkeswood, T. J. & Dauber, D. (1993). A review of the biology and host plants of the Australian longicorn beetle, Batocera boisduvali (Hope) with new data on mating and egg-laying behaviour. Sydney Basin Naturalist, 2: 31-34.

Moore, K. M. (1966). Observations of some Australian forest insects. 21. Hesthesis cingulata (Kirby) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), attacking young plants of Eucalyptus pilularis Smith. Australian Zoologist, 13: 299-301.

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